Now that you’ve started your online reselling boutique, it’s time to learn how to really maximize your inventory and the selling tools that you already have on hand.

Photography, pricing, and seasonal selling are variables that can either be helpful or detrimental to your sales. In this article, I’m going to teach you how to maximize all of these categories to increase views and sales for your boutique.

Million People Use Poshmark

Photography, pricing, and seasonal selling are variables that can either be helpful or detrimental to your sales

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 Photography

The product photography you post online plays a major role in whether your item will sell or grow dust in your inventory. So, it is very important to take photography that sells.

When taking photos of your product inventory, the first thing that you should do is inspect your clothing for wrinkles, lint, or unsightly creases. You want to showcase your items in their best light, so make sure your garments are as pristine as possible.

Next, you will need to find a place to stage your photos. I won’t go too in depth on how to stage images (I’ll save that for another post), but ideally, you will need to find a space in your home or outside where the natural light is good.  You will also need to find a neutral backdrop for photos. For instance, I use my balcony to take photos on the wall. The lighting is perfect and the paint color of the wall is a neutral off-white color.

Lastly, hang or lay your item in a way to showcase its qualities. Make sure that the area is not dark and that there is nothing in the background to distract from the product. Poshmark lists all photos in a square orientation, so if you are using an iPhone, you can select the square orientation when shooting your images. That way, you will be able to get all of the product in the shot. I teach you how to this here.

One other important thing to remember, it is wise to take 3 – 5 images of the item from different angles and positions. For example, If you have a shirt that has ties on the back. It would be great to show that off in the images. Ideally, you should take a photo of the front of the item, the side, the back, a close-up shot of any intricate detailing such as beading or embroidery, and if you are feeling brave, you can model the item to show how it fits the body.

There are many more photography techniques that will serve you in the reselling world, but we just covered the most important. 

  The Price is Right

You may not realize it, but pricing says a lot about an item. It conveys value and quality. In the world of resell, you want your price to convey value. The buyer already knows that they are purchasing a potentially used product, so when pricing your items, you want to choose a price that does the following things:

  • Compares to the competition. Let’s face it, you’re not the only person selling a Brandy Melville crop top. Research how much others are selling similar items for and then price yours comparatively.
  • Earns you a profit. If you are selling something that has been sitting in your closet for years, then it is easy to make a profit. But if you purchased your item from say, Goodwill for the purpose of reselling, then you need to price so that you make back the money you spent to purchase the item. For example, I recently purchased a Brandy Melville crop top for less than 50 cents at Goodwill Outlet. I was able to sell that same crop top for $12.00 on Mercari. After selling fees and shipping, I profited $7.30. I aim to earn a 100% profit reselling items that I thrift. But I am happy if I can make a 75%-80% profit. You’ll need to decide what works for you.
  • Leaves room for a markdown. More often than not, you will have inventory that just doesn’t sell. When this happens you can reevaluate the value of the item and lower the price. Many selling platforms offer tools to offer exclusive discounts to interested buyers or you can lower the overall price. I suggest offering interested buyers a discount first because you’ll likely get a sale. If that doesn’t work, you can lower the price overall. I recommend waiting at least a month before offering discounts or lowering prices.

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 Seasonal Sales

 

In retail, inventory changes with the seasons. This is the same for reselling online. While you can post out of season items in your boutique and make a sell, it is not likely. People typically shop for what they need at the moment. Try to post items within a month of its season. For example, if you have a coat that you want to sell but its July, you may want to wait until late fall to post the item.

Similarly, with posting items seasonally, you can also mark down items after the season has passed. Didn’t sell that spring skirt and its now September? Try dropping the price a few dollars to see if anyone bites. No matter what, do not get discouraged. I’ve had items that sell months after I listed them. 

Ready for more?

 

In the next article in this series, I’ll teach you how to brand yourself and how to become a top-rated seller. Didn’t find what you were looking for in this article? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you’d like to know about reselling clothes.  For more information on how to increase your income with a clothing reselling boutique, be sure to subscribe to my email list.